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[torchbearer]

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[torchbearer]

[ for an earth-shattering moment, he remembers donna and his arms nearly shake from the thought of it. ]

I'm . . . all right.

[avatarfortruth]

I don't need the lasso to know when someone's telling the truth or not, Kyle.

[ Her arms tighten around him, protective, trying to surround him with all the love and warmth and friendship she feels for him. ]

I'm very sorry.

[torchbearer]

[ kyle shakes his head. this will be behind him. like everything was. every connection, every relation just fading away. he's weathered it before. he'll weather it again. ]

I'll be f̴̖͗̏ị̶͍̮̯̣̦̪̟͕́͐͆̾̉͝n̴̳͔̽̓ę̴̟͙͉͙̮̹̱̽͗́̄.

[avatarfortruth]

But you aren't yet.

[ Names run through her head. Donna, Jade. Alex. ]

I think you know I'm not always the best at understanding romance in Man's World, but in this case I can quite securely say: Jason is making a mistake.

[torchbearer]

[ a low snort. ]

When is he not?

[avatarfortruth]

[ She laughs a little at that and pulls back, keeping an arm around him. ]

Rarely, to my knowledge.

[ But her amusement dims in the next moment. ]

Ion has returned?

[torchbearer]

[ kyle hums. the universe m̸̰͂̒́̆̓̔̂͂ȯ̷̢͚̳̖͈͙̭̩ṽ̴̬̣͇̼͖̼̍͊͛̓́̈́͘ë̴̡̬̬̻̳̹́s̷̮̬̦̉̈́̃͒͋͠. ]

About a month ago. It was like turning on a light switch.

[avatarfortruth]

I see.

[ Godhood, divinity – she's touched it, too, felt its power. But she had still been Diana, and never had she wanted to be anything else. ]

Ion has been very helpful in the past, but... I prefer having my friend, Kyle, instead.

[torchbearer]

. . . Jenny gave Ion back to me.

I can't just — give it up.

[avatarfortruth]

[ Very gently, she asks: ]

When did you see Jenny?

[torchbearer]

A year ago. I came here around the time she died.

[avatarfortruth]

[ She makes a soft sound of understanding. ]

I won't ask you to give Ion up, Kyle. Only, please –

I couldn't bear to lose you to it.

[torchbearer]

[ he sighs. ]

It's too late for that. There's nothing keeping me here.

[avatarfortruth]

If I didn't know better, I'd take some offense to that, Kyle. Nothing?

[ Her arm is warm around his shoulders; she gives him a little shake. ]

That's a bit short-sighted for someone who claims to be a god.

[torchbearer]

[ maybe it is. but he knows looking back is just painful. it's too painful. it's easier to call it nothing and to look back and see everything in its broken glory. ]

I'm not tethered here, Diana. I never really was.

[avatarfortruth]

That's your choice, Kyle.

[ She hasn't moved away from him, hasn't let him go. He needs all the support she can lend right now. ]

It may hurt, when roots are ripped out, but without them, no tree can grow.

[torchbearer]

If I were a tree, perhaps.

[ he's quiet for a moment. ]

But I'm starlight.

[avatarfortruth]

Ion is starlight. Kyle is a man. A good man. My friend.

Do we not share a tether?

[torchbearer]

[ he feels bad. it pierces the numbness. ]

It's . . . not enough.

[avatarfortruth]

No one person could ever be enough, Kyle. You have to give yourself to the world.

Remember? We decided to try and make it a better place here. Both of us, together.

[torchbearer]

And I agree, I just — [ god, this is hard. ion is there, but kyle is here too and it's a balancing act from keeping himself intact and not losing it. ]

— It's not enough.

[avatarfortruth]

It's up to you, Kyle. It has been since the first time you touched these powers.

[ Leaning close, she hugs him again, wishing her embrace alone could keep him tethered, as he'd said, knowing no one person could ever be enough. ]

Whatever happens, I'll be here with you. You're my friend, and I love you.

[torchbearer]

. . . I know.

[ he does reach for her hand and squeezes it. diana is his friend. he trusts her. she wouldn't let him down, but it feels like a part of his heart has been wrenched out all over again. he's not even hurt that jason left, that jason broke his promise.

he's just tired of kyle. ]

[avatarfortruth]

[ She squeezes his hand back, her heart aching. For him, for Jason, for Jenny and Alex and Donna, too. ]

It's nice to have you here in the townhouse. A few more gadgets and it will almost feel like the Watchtower.

[ Not quite, but they both know she's just trying to lighten the mood. ]

[torchbearer]

[ he manages a threadbare smile. ]

All we need is J'onn lurking around.